The invention described in the patent application is related to canister fluid filters commonly used in aquariums and other fluid systems where fluids are circulated through a device for cleaning or conditioning.
For example, in an aquarium system, a canister filter purifies the aquarium water by pushing the water through a pressurized tank located outside the aquarium tank. The filter draws the water out of the tank through an intake tube with sieves and valves, and into the sealed canister where the water is pushed through a series of filter media to clean the aquarium water. The filtered water is then pumped back into the aquarium tank via spray bar or other devices to minimize water flow.
Many types of filtrations can be accomplished with a canister filter, including chemical, biological, and mechanical filtration. The direction of water flow also varies between models and brands of canister filters. It can be, for example, top-to-bottom or back-to-front, depending on the particular designs of the canister filters.
The canister filter can also be used in other types of fluid cleaning or conditioning systems.
Before use, a canister filter must be properly “primed” to push all the air out of the system to allow a free flow of the fluid. The prior art canister filters utilize a priming pump that pushes the air out by opening the valve, as shown in FIG. 1. As it invariably requires multiple pumping actions to push all the air out, the prior art priming process is slow and time consuming. The present invention overcomes the prior art's shortcomings.